The Master Cicerone exam will challenge you to master every technical and aesthetic aspect of beer. You will converse with professional brewers and chefs as a peer, demonstrate expert tasting skills, and yet also use easy-to-understand but vividly descriptive language for a consumer audience. Those with these skills serve the industry as consultants, educators, and knowledge leaders in various organizations.
Prerequisites: All candidates for the Master Cicerone exam must have passed the Advanced Cicerone® exam. Candidates for this level of certification must be of legal drinking age.
Exam Cost: Initial test: $995 (USD); Retakes $795 (USD). Exam fees are nonrefundable.
Passing Score: A grade of 85% overall is required to pass. For more detailed information please see Master Cicerone® Exam Scoring Breakdown further down the page.
Postponement/Rescheduling: Please see our Exam Policies page for rescheduling and postponement options.
The Master Cicerone Syllabus presents an outline of the knowledge tested in the exam. Review it to guide your studies and assess your readiness for the exam.
Candidates for Master Cicerone certification must demonstrate encyclopedic knowledge and an in-depth understanding of all issues related to brewing, beer and beer service.
The full Master Cicerone Syllabus is your guide to preparation. All of the resources recommended for the Certified Cicerone® and Advanced Cicerone® exams should be considered in your preparation for the Master exam.
In-depth theoretical and hands-on knowledge of draft systems is required, with a special emphasis on troubleshooting and draft system design.
Mastery of beer styles is expected with detailed knowledge of the current BJCP guidelines and familiarity with other style systems as well.
Tasting experience with a wide range of beers and styles is a must. Candidates should be familiar with a catalog of commercial examples for each style and have the ability to describe their flavors. Travel to classic beer producing areas in Europe can be highly beneficial.
Assessment of off-flavor recognition using AROXA™ flavor standards should be undertaken so that you have mastered recognition of all the off-flavors mentioned in the syllabus. You should also be able to describe unfamiliar off-flavors using specific and descriptive language.
Candidates must demonstrate detailed knowledge of the brewing process and its many variations with an emphasis on the sources of flavors in beer and a clear knowledge of how changes in the brewing process might change the flavor of the finished beer. Brewing beer alone or with partners can help to ensure thorough knowledge of the brewing process.
Candidates will be asked to complete a number of pairing and chef-collaboration exercises relating beer with food. Experience preparing and presenting beer and food pairing events in collaboration with chefs and/or brewers is strongly recommended.
Throughout the exam, candidates will be expected to describe beer (and food) flavors using vivid and specific terms that accurately cover the full spectrum of flavor while remaining within the reach of consumer understanding.
Those preparing for the Master Cicerone exam should be sure to review the Master Cicerone Syllabus. This syllabus outlines all the knowledge that may be tested during the exam and is organized into five knowledge areas:
Overall, the Master Cicerone exam will be graded so that all five knowledge areas of the syllabus are weighted equally.
| Written Exam | Oral Exam | Tasting Exam | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keeping and Serving Beer | 13.00% | 7.00% | 0.00% |
| Beer Styles | 13.00% | 7.00% | 0.00% |
| Beer Flavor and Evaluation | 5.00% | 0.00% | 15.00% |
| Beer Ingredients and Brewing Processes | 13.00% | 7.00% | 0.00% |
| Pairing Beer with Food | 13.00% | 7.00% | 0.00% |
| Totals percentage of overall score | 57.00% | 28.00% | 15.00% |
